The rain had slowed to a drizzle, leaving the forest slick and glistening under the moonlight. Emma led Darrick and Adrian through a narrow ravine, the sounds of pursuit growing closer. Every snapped branch and rustle of leaves made their hearts pound.
Ahead, the trees opened to a small clearing. Moonlight revealed a black SUV waiting, its engine idling silently. Victor Kane stepped out, his silhouette tall, imposing, and precise. Behind him, a dozen mercenaries emerged from the shadows, weapons ready, faces unreadable.
Darrick froze. "Victor…" he whispered, a mixture of fear and recognition in his voice.
Victor smirked, stepping forward. "Hellsing. So predictable. And you must be… Emma Hart. The infamous street fighter who saved him." His eyes glinted coldly. "I've been looking forward to meeting you."
Emma stepped in front of Darrick, knives drawn, every muscle tense. "You won't touch him."
Victor laughed, low and chilling. "Oh, I will. But first… you."
Adrian positioned himself behind Emma and Darrick, scanning the treeline. "Emma, there's too many of them for a frontal attack. You'll need a distraction."
Emma's eyes burned with determination. "Good. I love a challenge."
Victor signaled, and his mercenaries advanced. Red laser dots danced across the clearing—the same precision technology that had destroyed their cabin. Emma's fists clenched, knives gleaming in her hands.
She lunged, faster than any human should be able to move. One mercenary went down before they could even aim. Another lunged at Darrick, but she twisted his arm and spun him into the ground, disarming him in one smooth motion.
Victor's smirk faltered. "Impressive," he muttered, raising a pistol and firing. Emma ducked, rolling behind a rock, knives ready. Sparks flew as bullets hit stone.
Darrick, finally recovering, drew his own weapon. He fired at two approaching men, hitting one in the shoulder. "Emma—Adrian! Watch the flank!"
Adrian unleashed precise gunfire, taking down two more attackers silently. But Victor moved differently. He didn't stay with his men. He circled, calculating, like a predator stalking its prey.
Emma's breathing was steady, her focus razor-sharp. One glance at Darrick and she knew they had to make this count. "We split them," she whispered. "Adrian with me—Darrick, get to the SUV."
Darrick hesitated. "Alone?"
Emma smirked. "You're my insurance policy. Go!"
As Darrick ran, Emma and Adrian launched a coordinated assault. Knives, bullets, and sheer agility tore through Victor's mercenaries, but Victor remained—calm, composed, deadly.
Finally, it was just Emma and Victor facing each other. His pistol aimed at her chest; her knives glinted under the moonlight.
"You're strong," Victor said, his voice eerily calm. "But you're reckless."
"I don't need to be careful with people like you," Emma replied, lunging forward with a knife.
Victor blocked with a swift kick, sending her sliding back. He advanced, each step deliberate. "Hellsing chose poorly," he said.
Emma's heart pounded, but she didn't falter. Every scar, every fight, every betrayal had led to this moment. She feinted left, then struck right—Victor barely blocked, a cut appearing along his arm.
"You can't stop me!" he snarled.
Emma smiled, a cold, fearless grin. "I don't need to stop you. I just need to survive you."
As the fight intensified, Victor realized something he hadn't expected—Emma wasn't just fighting to win. She was fighting to protect the one person he wanted most: Darrick.
The night erupted into chaos, blades clashing, gunfire cracking, and the forest itself seeming to hold its breath.
And in that storm of violence, a bond between Emma and Darrick solidified—unbreakable, forged in fire and blood.
---